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Remembering Gustavo Cerati With The Artists He Influenced

Argentine musician Gustavo Cerati died on Sept. 4.
Daniel Garcia
/
AFP/Getty Images
Argentine musician Gustavo Cerati died on Sept. 4.

Last week, as we were heading into the studio to record Alt.Latino, we received word that Latin music legend Gustavo Cerati had died. We were shocked. In the '80s and '90s, as frontman for the band Soda Estereo, Cerati became the first pan-Latin American rock star — and he was only 55 when he died on Sept. 4.

This week, we play new music rooted everywhere from Colombia to Los Angeles and beyond. All the artists we play — on this week's show and elsewhere — owe a debt to Cerati. Soda Estereo was the first rock band to tour throughout the entire continent, and it proved that being a roquero could be profitable. Record labels took note and opened their doors to rock en tu idioma, in Spanish.

Next week on Alt.Latino, we'll record a tribute show celebrating Gustavo Cerati and his legacy — and we need you to help us out. What is your favorite Cerati song, live concert, or memory? Please leave your suggestions in the comments.

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Jasmine Garsd is an Argentine-American journalist living in New York. She is currently NPR's Criminal Justice correspondent and the host of The Last Cup. She started her career as the co-host of Alt.Latino, an NPR show about Latin music. Throughout her reporting career she's focused extensively on women's issues and immigrant communities in America. She's currently writing a book of stories about women she's met throughout her travels.